Don’t even consider staying on your boat in a storm! Make arrangements now for how you will store your boat.

Here are the types of places you should try:

• A garage or a storage building inland: Studies show boats stored ashore are more likely to survive than those in the water. Try to store your boat above the anticipated storm surge level. Storing on high-rise racks is high-risk.
• A well-protected marina or dock: If the marina is too close to open bodies of water or protected only by a low sea wall, it can be vulnerable to large waves and storm surge.
• Boats on land
• Find a secure spot for your boat on land.
• Remove the outboard engine, if possible.
• Pick a site away from trees and power lines. Do not park between buildings, where wind tunnels can develop. Remove electrical equipment and strip all loose gear or gear.
• Use wooden blocks at the trailer’s wheels. Deflate tires. If the boat is on a trailer, lash it to the trailer and tie the trailer down to something secure. Ground anchors are best.
• If you don’t have a trailer, fill the boat with water and tie it to the most secure thing you can find in your yard. If the boat is very small, turn it upside down and lash it to the ground or put it in the garage and leave the car outside.
• In-water boats
• Use lines on both sides. Use the double bow and stern lines. Use spring lines fore and aft. Don’t tie the boat up too close to the sea wall. The water level could rise 10 feet to 20 feet above normal.
• If in a canal or waterway, sink ground anchors on each bank – two for the stern, two for the bow. Set them so the lines form an X. Wrap the line several times around cleats or pilings before tying off on the ground anchor.
• Your boat should look like a spider in a web. Use oversized lines, as large as cleats can handle, but no more than two lines per cleat to spread the tension.
• Anchor only to pilings and deep-rooted trees (low on the tree to avoid the rope slipping off if the top of tree snaps.)
• Install fenders or even tyres to protect your boat from collisions.
• Leave just enough fuel in your boat to get it back to its normal berth after the storm.
• Set your bilge pump on automatic and leave the cockpit drains open.
• Close all intake valves below the water line. Seal hatches, ports, windows, doors and vents with duct tape.
• Remove all gear affected by wind.
• Disconnect shore power to your boat.

Before the storm 

• Keep vehicle in a garage or carport, if available. Otherwise, park close to the building on the side away from the wind. Vans and semi-trailers can be blown over if they are exposed to the full force of the winds.
• Two-car families could park one car in a public garage and the other at home. Be aware that high water and closed roads may make it impossible for you to retrieve your car immediately after the storm. There is usually little glass in parking garages, but if the sides are open, debris and water could damage your car.
• Fill fuel tank, if possible. Fuel might not be available for days after the storm.
• Ensure battery is fully charged. Dampness after the storm might make the vehicle difficult to start. In an extreme emergency, a car radio may be your only source of information.
• If the vehicle is located near the beach, tape old blankets or sheets over the windows to prevent blowing sand from pitting them. Fully tape to ensure wind does not get under the covering, and remove tape immediately after the storm to avoid leaving marks on the vehicle.
• Do not park near a tree that might fall on or break branches over your vehicle.
• Do not park near power lines that might fall on your vehicle.
• Do not park between two buildings close to each other, as wind may funnel through these areas.

During the storm 

• Do not go sightseeing in your vehicle during the storm as your vehicle may become stuck in the sand on beach roads or stalled by flooding in the streets.

After the storm 

• Do not start your car if water rose to a level where it made contact with the engine. Replace all fluids and have the vehicle inspected by a mechanic. Remember, your car might run, but the water can affect features such as air bags and electronic equipment.
• Avoid driving through standing water. The average car can be swept off the road in 12 inches of moving water.
• If there is no electricity, disengage your electric garage door. All garage door openers have an emergency disconnect – a small cord hanging from the mechanism at the top of the door. Pull the cord and it disengages the motor.

Do not go sightseeing in your vehicle after the storm as this may impede recovery efforts.